


The Bloodline Of Crowe

by NeversideFaerie



Category: Wizards vs Aliens
Genre: Action/Adventure, Black Comedy, Canon Compliant, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Humor, Magic, Romance, Science Fantasy, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 04:06:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13605180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeversideFaerie/pseuds/NeversideFaerie
Summary: An accident renders Ursula temporarily unable to use her magic, which results in the usual team going on a quest to restore her powers. Meanwhile, Varg and Lyzera are horrified to find out there is a traitor lurking aboard the Zarantulus with one sole purpose – to see that neither of them return home alive… Set during season 3, after "Daughters of Stone".





	1. If You Go Down To The Woods Today...

Tom Clarke's legs shot across the moist forest floor, leaping over broken branches and muddy puddles, his feet still occasionally landing in slushing marshes, leaving dark brown stains on his boots and trouser legs.   
Not far behind him hurried his Gran, Ursula Crowe, equally filthy and perhaps even more terrified.  
"We must stop him, Thomas, at all costs!" she puffed, "If that bogle treads one foot outside this forest both the worlds of the enchanted and un-enchanted will never be safe again!"  
A few metres ahead of the two wizards charged a giant black shaggy beast, pounding on all fours, letting out several aggressive throaty growls akin to coarse breathing. He was but one of many Neverside creatures that had escaped over the line of Twilight to England in the past few weeks and perhaps the most dangerous so far. Fortunately, the tear had appeared in an almost deserted woodland, surrounded only by trees and bushes, but human civilisation was nearer than the bare branches and scruffy undergrowth suggested.  
"You distract him!" called Ursula, "I'll see if I can move the tear in the line of Twilight!" She held up her enchanted staff, ready to use it when the time came.  
"You're going to move the tear?!" responded Tom in disbelief, "Has anyone even done that before?"  
"I don't know, but I'm going to have to try!"  
Suddenly, the bogle stopped, raised its nose in the air and gave a deep sniff. Slowly, it turned around, allowing Tom and Ursula to get a good look at its face, which was similar to that of a Grazlax, with enormous fangs, a horn jutting out of its forehead and deep, angry brown eyes.  
"Gran?" said a panicked Tom, "Don't you think he looks a little...hungry?"  
"We must work quickly!" cried Granny, "There is no time to lose!"  
How I am possibly going to distract him without getting myself mortally wounded? thought Tom worriedly.   
"Um, over here, you burly beast!" yelled Tom, trying to come up with an effective plan on the spot, "Bet you can't catch me!"  
It didn't seem to be working. The bogle hadn't taken much notice of Tom and was pacing toward a petrified Mrs Crowe, streams of saliva trickling from its jaws.  
I've got to do something! Tom thought. What could he possibly do to divert the creature's attention? Was there anything that bogles were drawn to? Was there anything that bogles were afraid of? He tried to remember the lesson Randal Moon had taught him six months ago on Neverside pests, but his memories were very hazy.  
Gran took several steps back, visibly shivering. The monster pawed forward, its beady eyes fixed on its prey, ready to strike at any moment. There would be no escape from its clutches if it chased after her – bogles could outrun all but the speediest of humans. Ursula was starting to conclude she was as good as dead...  
"Yun-shey-dah!" shouted Tom all of a sudden. SNAP! went his fingers.  
The bogle's head slowly lifted upward and a look of horror as the poignant as the one Granny had a moment earlier sprang upon his face. Confused, Mrs Crowe swivelled round cautiously, only to behold a sight that alarmed her beyond measure. A few metres behind her stood a magnificent dragon, three times as large as the bogle. The towering orange-scaled monster opened its massive jaws and did a roar that gave a horribly real meaning to the word 'deafening'.  
The bogle turned on its heels and bolted. Ursula leapt out of the dragon's path as the snarling reptile chased the furry menace, landing sideways in a muddy puddle. Tom rushed over to her aid, only to be shoved in the opposite direction by a grimy hand.  
"You mustn't let them out of the forest!"   
Tom turned and raced after the speeding monsters through the undergrowth for ages, but it was no use. If the two beasts made it to a human settlement, there was nothing he could do to stop them. He felt a tinge of regret for conjuring up the deadly dragon which had now tripled the level of threat humanity was facing, but when he remembered that he had done it to save his Gran, all his guilt washed away. He'd saved his Gran many times before, as well as his Dad and Benny and Moon and his fellow wizards and sometimes even the entire planet. He was certain he could save the day yet again...but how?  
"STOP THOMAS!" bellowed a deep male voice.  
Without hesitating, questioning or even really thinking, Tom abruptly ground to a halt.  
"Sheek-tan-WAYN-ZAH-DAH!"  
A few metres ahead, the bogle and the dragon continued to stampede through the woodland when suddenly a stream of orange and purple magic sprang into their path, turning into a giant glittering portal – none other than the now-moved tear in the line of Twilight. Before the creatures had a chance to blink, they'd both charged straight through.  
"Sheek-tan-KEESH-ZAH-DAH!"  
The gateway disappeared in an instant. Tom spent several seconds trying to work out what had just happened before he turned to where the voice had come from and caught sight of a familiar face.   
"Grandad?!"  
"I told you not to come!" called a mud-splattered Granny, hurrying towards them.  
"Aah, Ursula!" said Simeon Swann, "Even the mud of a forest mire could never disguise your lovely features."  
"Don't try to flatter me," responded Gran sharply, "I'm not in the mood. I told you to stay in the Chamber."  
"Did you expect me to sit and watch from the safety of the Chamber as my wife and grandson were attacked by the some of the most fearsome creatures of the Neverside?"  
Prior to his unexpected arrival, Mr Swann had been monitoring them on the scrying mirror.  
"Look, could you two just stop please?" interrupted Tom, sensing an argument could be at hand. He had witnessed several disagreements between his grandparents over the past couple of days, more than he had ever seen before, which was only to be expected as Grandad had been stuck on the Neverside for the past three decades, making it awfully difficult for him to have a dispute with his wife during that time. However, something that was completely indisputable was the fact that most, if not all, of these current arguments spawned from something to do with his thirty-year absence.  
"I am just glad you're safe, Ursula," said Simeon gently, wrapping his arms around her in a sweet embrace. He held her tenderly for a few seconds before abruptly Mrs Crowe realised something was missing.  
"My staff!"   
What?! Tom's eyes sprang to his Granny's hands. Sure enough, her trusty cane was nowhere to be seen.   
Ursula wriggled free of her husband's grasp and the three wizards desperately began scouring the bed of rotting leaves for anything that looked remotely like a stick.   
"I must have dropped it when I landed in that puddle," the Mistress Crowe concluded, "Goodness knows what could have happened to it with that disgusting bogle running about..."  
"Gran?" called Tom.  
Mrs Crowe turned to see him kneeling in front of a muddy pool, out of which jutted her staff...or, at least, part of it. The other half lay nearby on a small marsh, almost buried in sludge, but uncovered enough to allow Ursula to see the jagged splinters where the bogle had broken it in two.  
WIZARDS VS ALIENS  
THE BLOODLINE OF CROWE  
Upon the main wooden table in the mystical cave known as the Chamber of Crowe lay Granny's damaged cane, now thoroughly scrubbed of any lingering forest mire, as were the intrepid bogle pursuers. Tom, Ursula, Michael, Simeon and Moon were gathered around the worktop, all simultaneously pondering how they could possibly repair such a precious item.  
"Randal Moon will have always been knowing that bogles will be bringing nothing but mischief upon the line of Crowe!" said the Chamber's hobgoblin guardian, Randal Moon, "Caractacus Crowe will have been nearly mauled to death once by the likes of such a repulsive beast! It will come as no shock to behold what one will have been doing to your precious cane, Great Mistress!"  
Michael Clarke placed a hand over his face and made an expression akin to wincing. "This is one break that duct tape isn't going to fix. I suppose I could use some superglue instead."  
"Oh no, Michael!" protested Granny, "This isn't any old staff we are talking about – this is an heirloom passed on through the line of Crowe for centuries. We must give it more respect."  
"How?" replied Dad, gesturing to the broken cane, "I don't think leaving it like this is giving any reverence to your ancestors!"  
"You're Unenchanted – you wouldn't understand," responded Simeon, "A distinguished wizard staff cannot be properly fixed by duck tape or whatever that stuff was. It needs to be sealed by the binding powers of a magical healing gateway."  
"And I don't suppose you have one of those on you?"   
"Healing gateway are only found in certain locations, not that you would be aware of that, Michael of the Un-"  
"Are you still able to use your magic, Gran?" interrupted Tom, not wanting an argument to break out between not just his Granny and Grandad but now his father and possibly Moon as well.  
"I'm not certain," replied Ursula, "I have always been able to cast spells without my staff, but I have been using it for so long that it is possible my powers may have become connected to it. I fear that now it is broken I may have had my source of magic cut off." She formed her left hand into a finger-snapping position and hesitated for a few seconds before whispering, "Maash-floro-dah."   
Snap! went her fingers. Her audience waited, but nothing happened.  
"Then it is true," concluded Ursula solemnly, "Until my staff is mended, I will be unable to do any magic." She suddenly darted over to where the Wisdom Of Crowe was resting on the table and began flicking through it. "Which is why we need to find one of those healing gateways as soon as possible. There must be a list of them in here somewhere..."  
The others gathered behind her.   
"What exactly do these 'healing gateways' do anyway?" enquired Tom.  
"Healing gateways will be powerful places of magic," explained Moon, "There will be few upon the face of the whole world – and the face of the world will indeed be a face. Randal Moon will not be a-fooled by those astronauticals and their scientrickery, trying to prove that our Earth is as a ball! Pah!"  
Granny leaned over to Tom's ear and whispered, "I never have been able to convince him that the world isn't flat."  
"There may be a healing gateway located somewhere in the country of Engla land, but mark Randal Moon's words – it will be guarded by the most dreadful creature in the whole of the Neverside!"  
"And...what is that?" asked Tom apprehensively, wondering how he was going to prepare himself for another battle against one of the monsters of the enchanted world.  
"Faeries! It will be pesky faeries!"  
Phew! thought Tom. It looked like he would be able to save his strength for another day.  
"Oh come along Moon – they're nothing more than harmless nuisances!" responded Ursula.  
"You will not have been seeing the mischief that has befallen poor Randal Moon at their hands!"  
"So, you're saying this healing gateway is hidden somewhere in England, guarded by faeries?" interjected Tom, "And all we have to do is work out where it is to take the staff there?"  
"That will be accurate, young master."  
"And we won't have to make a magical sacrifice or fight off wraith lords to get to it?"  
"Not if Randal Moon's memory will be serving him correctly."  
Tom turned to Ursula. "And once we find the gateway, all we'll need to do is use its binding power and your staff will be back to normal – along with your magic!"  
"Precisely, Thomas!" She continued to flick through her spell book. "Which is why I need to hurry before we have another encounter with those dastardly Nekross! I cannot bear the thought of fighting those magic-guzzling monsters without the aid of my magic."  
Simeon and Michael had been stood behind the others watching. "This could take some time," remarked Simeon.  
...  
Meanwhile, the starship Zarantulus was hovering somewhere near the moon, blue light glowing from the cluster of windows. It was just typical that on this night the King Regent Varg – a yellow and black humanoid reptile with a tentacle on each side of his face – was busy plotting a new strategy in the flight deck. This had been primarily his sister Lexi's job for some time, but now she was no longer at his side, Varg had to attempt to fill her shoes. This was rather a challenging task, but tonight Varg had finally come up with a scheme that he thought would land his name in the history books. He had spotted a blindingly obvious method of locating wizards, and now his wife, the Lady Lyzera – a Nekross with light pink skin and purple tendrils protruding from her head - was being enlightened on his unbelievable ingenuity.   
"For centuries, wizards have passed down their magical abilities through various bloodlines." He brought up a picture of a family tree on the flight deck's view screen, with several familiar faces at the bottom. "For example, the line of Crowe has survived for many generations." He zoomed out of the image. The tree grew larger, showing how the bloodline had been distributed to many individuals, most of which he didn't have a name for. "I have created this descendency chart via a human website known as Family Search. The humans are able to store information on their ancestry through a primitive interconnected network system known as the internet."  
"Are you suggesting that we use this internet to gather details on wizards?"  
"Indeed, my Lady." Varg pressed a few keys on the computer panel. The picture on the screen changed to a blue webpage with lots of writing and pictures. "This is a website entitled Facebook. The humans use it for 'social networking' - instant written communication through the internet." He tapped a few more buttons. A page came up displaying an image of a Chinese girl in her early twenties, wearing a pair of glasses similar to Benny's distinctive "geek" specs. "My research has revealed that every one of these wizard bloodlines have been named after birds. This female wizard has the surname Peacock; a colourful, ornamental bird often found in the gardens of aristocrats. It is estimated more than two billion humans are members of this website, including most of the wizard population."  
Lyzera's eyes lit up. "If we were to search for the names of wizard bloodlines, there will be nothing to obstruct us from finding boundless information on their locations." She had caught sight of a section of Miss Peacock's profile that said she went to a university in London.   
"...and then the Nekross shall finally feast upon Earth's rich supply of magic." Varg breathed in deeply. "Aaaaah...!"  
"You are indeed clever, dear husband," fawned Lyzera, stroking one of his tentacles fondly, "This strategy will ensure that the name of Varg the Valiant and Victorious is sung with the heroes of old in the ballads of the Vosper Zarkiel scrolls."   
Varg chuckled. "...but not without mention of you, my Lady. A king regent is nothing without his queen." He took hold of her arms. "Our marriage has formed a union between the royal house of Nekron and the ringed moons surrounding our home world. Perhaps someday this union will be greatly strengthened by the presence of-"  
"King Regent Varg!" interrupted a voice.   
The two monarchs paused, and slowly turned to face the view screen. The Facebook page that had been there a moment ago had vanished, only to be replaced by a picture of a female Nekross with lilac skin and deep purple tendrils extending from her tentacles, clad in a rich violet gown made from crushed velvet, seated upon a throne.   
"Duchess Chani!" exclaimed Varg, surprised to hear from one of his allies so unexpectedly, "For what purpose do you contact the royal house of Nekron?"  
"I hasten to warn you of an impending danger," replied Chani, "Since the old King was discovered to have been depriving his people of magic, multiple secret combinations have supposedly been formed to cause your downfall. Chancellor Kooth did not work alone - there are many others that supported her, and it is thought an assassin may well have been placed directly aboard the Zarantulus before you departed for Earth."  
"What?! An assassin - aboard the Zarantulus?"  
"It is a miracle you have survived this long - be on guard for attempts on your lives. This traitor may strike at any moment, using any method possible. You must be prepared for their attack." She drew her face nearer. "Good luck, O king."   
The message cut off dramatically, leaving Varg and Lyzera in silent horror.  
They let go of each other's hands. Varg could see his wife's tentacles trembling.  
"Do not fear, my Lady," he consoled, "I will not let a finger of our enemies be placed upon your delicate fuchsia skin..."  
Lyzera said nothing, and walked over to her domesticated bird, the vulture-like Eelix.  
"Must you feed that creature while we are under threat from an unknown assassin?" said Varg disapprovingly, "There are more important matters at stake."  
Lyzera's attention was drawn to her pet. "Are you hungry, my baby? Would you like a beetroo bug? Ooh...yes you would..." Suddenly, she gave a blood-curdling scream and recoiled.   
"My Lady!" cried Varg, dashing over to see what the matter was.  
Lyzera's gloved hand was clamped over her mouth, her eyes wider than a black hole. She pointed to Eelix's food dispenser. Varg peered inside and nearly gasped with terror. There, nestled in amongst the red insects, was a giant black butcher beetle, raising its poisoned horns to show it was ready to sink them into Nekross flesh. If Lyzera hadn't spotted it so quickly, then the last sentence she had uttered would have been her final words.  
Varg aimed his firearm at the deadly creature.   
"Be careful, husband!" called the Lady, aware that her precious Eelix was not far away.  
She shielded her eyes as the king regent blasted the tub into oblivion.   
Eelix became drenched in an explosion of beetroo bug juice, laced with the butcher beetle's poison, which luckily was only lethal to reptiles.   
"The beetle has been obliterated," Varg reported, tucking away his weapon.   
Lyzera moved away her hand to examine the destruction, trying to catch her breath back.  
"The traitor has already tried to take my life," she realised, "We are not safe anymore, dear husband!"


	2. Narrow Escapes

Meanwhile back in the Chamber of Crowe, Ursula had been looking through the Wisdom of Crowe for quite some time now whilst Tom, Moon and Grandad were each looking through one of the Chamber's many volumes, whilst Dad had decided he would be of better use cooking the dinner.   
"Brownies and bwbachods!" Moon cried all of a sudden, "This will be the means of determining the whereabouts of the healing gateway!"  
Granny, Tom and Simeon all abandoned the books they had been reading and rushed over to see what he'd found.   
"Is this an incantation?" asked Tom, who could fortunately read Stonescript, "It's two pages long!"  
"The spell for finding a healing gateway will be a tricky and complex one," answered Moon, "Randal Moon will be needing many ingredients for the cauldron."  
"Then we must make haste!" Ursula began rifling through the shelves, pulling off jars and bottles and placing them on the spell table, before rushing back to the shelves for more.  
"Calm down, Gran!" cried Tom, "You might break something!"  
Granny dumped another armful of containers onto the counter. "There! That should do it." She began pouring the mixtures into the cauldron. Moon stirred them round for several minutes before reading out the long spell from the pages of the tome. (He could now remember its existence, mainly because it was one of the few spells he had never been able to commit to memory!)  
The air in front of the cave's entrance began to gently sparkle and gradually transformed into a misty, translucent circular portal in shades of purple and orange.  
"Who'll go first?" asked Tom, but quickly became aware that Grandad had stepped forward.  
"Since it was I who caused the staff to be split in two through my recklessness, I believe is my duty to restore my wife's cane to its proper state."  
"Simeon, please!" said Ursula, "There's no need for you to charge off on your own – we should all go in together..."  
"Dinner's ready!" came a voice from somewhere near the entrance. Four heads quickly swivelled to see Mr Clarke striding down the tunnel, straight in the direction of the portal.  
"Michael, watch out!" cried Granny.  
"What's wrong, Ursula-" responded Dad, before walking straight into the cloudy gateway – from behind.  
Gran gasped loudly and then there was two seconds of chilling silence.  
"Can somebody tell me what just happened there?" asked Tom, "Why didn't Dad notice the gateway?"  
"It may have been invisible from the other side. Your father couldn't have seen it was there."  
"And...what's happened to him?"  
"We must be prepared for the worst." Ursula jogged over to the scrying mirror. "Michael entered the portal from the wrong side – there's no telling what it could have done to him!"  
Tom, Simeon and Moon gathered round the mirror.   
Moon waved his arms. "Scrying mirror, be showing us the whereabouts of Michael of the Unenchanted!"  
Upon the glass appeared a reassuring image. A bewildered looking Mr Clarke was stood on what appeared to be a road of some sort, perhaps a bridge due to the white-painted rustic stone wall behind him, less than a metre in height, and a backdrop of bare branches, parted in a manner that would accommodate a stream.   
"Oh, thank the Source you're all right!" cried Granny, "There's no telling what harm misusing enchanted portals can cause."  
"Dad, where are you?" called Tom.  
"You should be telling me!" Michael was looking around, almost as if to see where his son's voice was coming from. "How come I can hear you?"  
"By Jove – he definitely must be near the gateway!" exclaimed Simeon, "Only a source of powerful magic could allow an Unenchanted to communicate through a Scrying mirror without using one himself!"  
"Hold on a minute," said Mr Clarke, raising his arms, "Didn't I just walk through the gateway to wherever this place is?"  
"Not quite, Michael," responded Mrs Crowe, "The portal transports you to the location of the healing gateway, which is somewhere in the human world. It will be situated somewhere very nearby."  
Michael had begun walking to the foot of the bridge. "I'm not going hunting for any wizardy wormholes until I know just where I am." He came across a large signpost with an unmistakable title written on it in bold letters. "Fairy Bridge. From the looks of that logo, it appears I'm on the Isle Of Man."  
"Why didn't I think of it before?" Ursula was stunned. "Of course – the Isle Of Man is one of the most magical places on Earth and its right here in Britain!"  
"Humans visiting the Fairy Bridge will be wary not to offend the troublesome fay," advised Moon, "They will be saying 'Good morning faeries!' or bad luck will be following them."  
"No offence Moon, but I'm not entirely certain about that," responded Mr Clarke. No sooner had he said that, when all of a sudden a small branch fell down and landed on his head. "Ouch!" He looked toward the bare trees, nursing his scalp. "Where did that come from?"  
"Randal Moon will have been warning you, O Michael of the Unenchanted!"  
"Good morning faeries," Dad said to no-one in particular, just to be on the safe side. He moved out of the way as a car came past.  
Grandad turned to face the portal. "Now we are assured that Michael is all in one piece, we can continue on our quest. Tally ho...!" He tried to stride off into the gateway, but Ursula managed to hold him back.  
"Now hold on a second, Simeon! Don't you think we ought to make some preparations before prancing off through the hole?"  
"I'm as prepared as I'll ever be!"  
"I meant that we should get our coats and scarves before we venture to the Isle Of Man – and one for Michael too. It can get bitterly cold at this time of year!"  
"Hold on, Ursula!" called Mr Clarke, just after a motorcycle had crossed the bridge, "What about our tea? I've just finished cooking it!"  
"I'm sorry Michael, but it will have to wait! I need my staff back as soon as possible!"  
...  
Back on the Zarantulus, Varg was continuing to work on his upcoming strategy. He pressed a few keys on the nearby console and gave a dark chuckle. On the screen was a series of files containing webpages he'd saved for different wizards he'd discovered across the globe. However, nothing made him puff out his chest in pride more than one particular Facebook account, which belonged to none other than Tom Clarke. The next moment his arch enemy posted a notification of where his location was, he would most certainly receive a visit from an old friend of his with yellow, scaly tentacles.   
"Have you finished attending to that bird of yours, my Lady?" he said into the com system, which was directed to the royal quarters – more specifically, the bathroom.  
"Almost, husband." Lyzera was clad in a blue protective suit, splattered with red stains from where she'd picked up her pet, sat beside a bath overflowing with bubbles, Eelix in the middle, looking well and truly unamused. She picked up a squeaky toy in the shape of a Nekross water fowl. "Do you want to play with your dolly, my baby?" She tossed him the item and gave his head a stroke. "Oh, don't worry, my Eelix. You will be clean soon enough, I promise."  
"I have important news," continued Varg, "Amongst other wizards, I have located the name 'Tom Clarke' through an internet tool known as a search engine."  
Lyzera nearly fell in the bath water!   
"Tom Clarke, you say?"  
"Before long, I shall at last capture the wizard halfling and drain him of magic in the old way - sucking it from his bones."  
The queen regent laughed villainously. "He will be powerless to stop us from seizing the magic of every wizard in the world - one by one."   
Whilst she was saying this, Varg's eyes darted across the flight deck, just in case he had any visitors. He had been careful to avoid contact with crewmen over the last few hours, for fear they might have as dirty a trick that had been played on his wife earlier ready and waiting for him. Quite frankly, he was afraid to do anything. He knew there were many ways to murder a Nekross, and they could be tried at any time, through any means.   
"Have there been any signs of...you know what?" he whispered furtively.  
"Not a trace. I am more concerned about you, husband Varg. If the traitor planted a trap for me individually, it is more than likely he will make an attempt on your life next."  
Varg's tentacles started twitching. It was a good thing he was only speaking to his wife on audio so she couldn't see his worried expression.   
Lyzera pulled the plug on the bath water. She gave Eelix a final shower to rinse the bubbles away, before wrapping him in a luxurious navy towel. "There, there my baby! You will soon be dry." She strode out of the en suite bathroom into her quarters, setting the bird down on the royal blue duvet of the double bed that dominated most of the room.   
"That is what I fear," came Varg's voice through the nearby computer that was sat beside the Lady's dressing table, "I advise we take extra precautions when approaching a section of the ship containing zanti scale contamination in case the traitor has increased the risk level."  
"Understood, husband," responded Lyzera, eying her dirty getup in disgust, "If you do not mind, I will proceed to change out of my protective clothing."   
"Of course."  
Lyzera pressed a key on her console to close the communication channel, only to feel a surge of electrifying energy racing up her arm. "AAAAARRRRRRRGH!"  
She collapsed to the floor, trembling in shock. What had just happened? Had the assassin tried to finish her off through an electrocution?!  
She checked to see whether she could feel her fingers, and was relieved to find she could still move them. Gradually, she picked herself up and rose to her feet, her heart beating rapidly. She was lucky to be alive - again! The only thing she could think of that might have saved her life was her poison-proof suit, which she was aware had many other functions besides shielding her scaly skin from the venom of a butcher beetle.   
She cast one of her perfume bottles at the keyboard, just to make sure it was safe, before tapping on of the buttons. "Varg?" she called, "There is something I need to report..."  
...  
Not long later, Ursula and Simeon (clad in their winter coats) travelled through the portal and found themselves on the exact same bridge as Michael, who was blowing into his hands to keep them warm. Mrs Crowe handed him a jacket.  
"I do hope these coats are dry," she said, having snatched them off a radiator a minute ago, "And clean, for that matter. I was quite tempted to ask Moon to perform a cleansing spell."  
Mr Clarke was zipping up his jacket. "So, where is this gateway? Is it just going to appear out of thin air?"  
Tom came through the portal. "Sorry about that! I had to message Katie to say I wouldn't be at the park today." He was already wearing his coat.  
Ursula passed him the two halves of her staff. "Would you mind holding these?"  
Tom willingly took hold of them, but couldn't help asking, "And...what exactly do you want me to do with these?"  
"I cannot use my magic until the cane is mended. You are the one person here with powers from the bloodline of Crowe. Only you can find the healing gateway and use it to fix the staff."  
"Whoa...that's a tough calling," mused Tom, "Is there an incantation or something I need to say?"  
The cane's amber began to glow.  
"Is that a...good sign?" asked Tom.  
"Indeed so, Thomas. I'm not so certain we need to find the gateway. Rather, I believe the gateway needs to find us."  
...  
A few minutes after Lyzera's worrying message, Varg got an update from a Facebook page owned by a man named Matthew Sparrow, who apparently would be visiting Winchester Science Museum the next day. So far, it seemed his strategy was infallible - those foolish humans would hand over their details without even batting an eyelid!  
He became aware of a rhythmic stomping sound coming down the corridor. It must be one of the guards, he thought, surreptitiously placing a hand on his gun. The doors swung open, and who should appear but Lady Lyzera, wearing a bulky Nekross uniform and carrying Eelix in her arms. Varg was slightly pained to be reminded of his long-lost sister, whom the outfit belonged to.  
"An extra precaution, dear husband," quoted the Lady, "Nothing can penetrate the Princess Lexi's armour." She tapped her shoulder, which made a metallic bang in response. "I would advise that you change into your own uniform. We cannot afford to take risks with a killer on the loose." She placed Eelix, now completely clean and dry, back on his perch next to her throne.  
"Very wise, my Lady. In the meantime, I have gathered a piece of information as to the whereabouts of a wizard. Tomorrow, we shall storm Winchester Science Museum and take him prisoner."  
"Is there any news about the wizard half-form?" The queen regent strode over to the computer for a better look at the screen.  
"I'm afraid not. All he seems to discuss is homework and courtship and football." He brought his fist down on the control panel. "Raaarrrgh! How infuriating!"  
Lyzera stroked his cheek. "Do not give up hope, my valiant and victorious warrior. Tom Clarke will soon be grasped within your hand, ready for you to devour his magic as is rightfully yours."  
"I will ensure that you, my Lady, will have your share of his magic when he is finally in our clutches."  
They both chuckled.  
The bridge doors opened and in stepped Technician Jathro 15. "I hate to report some alarming news, my most Exquisite Excellencies."  
"Speak, Technician!" thundered Varg.  
"Well...you see...I was investigating that incident in the royal quarters. It appears the electrical surge was caused by a mere glitch in the computer system, which instigated a rare but powerful charge to be released."  
Varg wasn't buying it. He was almost certain the electric shock had been no accident, and it had been made to look as though it was not suspicious by some devious, calculating mind that could only belong to the dreaded assassin.  
"As I was doing this, a small dart shot out from one of the bedsteads, becoming attached to my shoulder guard." Jathro held up the offending item. "After some further investigations, I discovered they were embedded in many different compartments in the royal bedchamber. Contained inside each dart is a deadly poison that could kill in minutes."  
Varg's eyes widened. "And who...could have planted such objects?"  
"Some dastardly traitor, I suppose," responded Jathro with a smirk.  
"YOU are the traitor!" growled Varg all of a sudden, grabbing the engineer's arm so forcefully that he dropped the dart on the floor.  
"It was not me this time, I assure you!" defended Jathro desperately.   
"Why did you admit to there being darts hidden in our quarters?" interrogated Lyzera, "It would have been easy to leave the assassin's tactics in place. You have attempted to murder us before on more than one occasion."  
"Precisely! I did not wish for the blame to fall upon my head."  
Varg reluctantly loosened his grip.   
The technician caught his breath back. "If you don't mind, I have some duties to attend to in the engine room!" He disappeared into the corridor before anyone could say a word.   
"If he is not responsible for this revolting series of offences, it appears we may have to question each crewman individually," said Varg gravely.  
"They will stand no chance against your genius, husband! We will expose their abominable crimes before the whole of Nekron and ensure they pay the penalty for their blasphemous deeds. No-one threatens the royal house of Nekron without answering to you, my king!"  
"Rage increases the brilliance in your fiery eyes, my queen."  
"The flames within my pupils only burn for you, King Regent Varg of all Nekron."  
Beep!  
"It appears we have a notification, my Lady."  
Varg's head turned to see what it was. His tentacles arched the moment he caught sight of his latest Facebook update.  
"Are you all right, dear husband?" asked Lyzera, concerned by his appearance.  
She turned to see what it was and a look of complete shock sprang onto her face. The message read:  
"sorry katie gran planned a trip to the isle of man today. shes always wanted to visit the fairy bridge! see you next week love you loads xxxxx"  
The two Nekross slowly began to exchange glances and before long the same wicked expression came upon both of their faces, alongside some horrible chuckles.  
"The stupidity of Wizardkind never ceases to amaze me!" gloated Varg, "How carelessly the wizard half-form has given away his location. Finally he is within our reach!"  
"Your plan to monitor the internet has been most fruitful, darling husband. Before long countless wizards shall be within our clutches – starting with that fiendish half-form!"  
"We must get to the transporter room immediately! There is no time to waste. The Nekross shall truly feast tonight!"


	3. Deja Vu

Back on Fairy Bridge, Simeon, Ursula and Michael had gathered around Tom, watching the broken staff's amber continue to shine and the jagged ends of each half were starting to shimmer as well.   
"Should I...put it back together?" asked Tom, realising how the magic was probably working.  
"It can't hurt to try," responded Granny.  
Tom did just that and the middle of the staff began to glow even brighter than the amber.  
"It's fusing!" he cried.  
"My staff will soon be good as new!" exclaimed Ursula, beaming.  
"Er...Tom?" said Dad, who was looking in another direction. The others turned to see what he was concerned by. Several cars had passed while they were gathered on the bridge, but none of them had been particularly interested in the four pedestrians. On the other hand, while they were so occupied with the cane, they hadn't noticed that one car had not ignored them and had instead slowed down. The driver was looking directly at the glowing cane.  
"Oh no..." groaned Tom, "How are we going to explain that we're trying to fuse a magical staff back together?"  
"I'll handle this!" called Michael, jogging toward the automobile.  
Tom surreptitiously pulled the cane's halves apart.  
"Is there a fire?" asked the car's driver, now Michael had come up to his open window. The driver was a middle-aged man with thinning brown hair and a Northern English accent.  
"Er...no...my son's just..." Mr Clarke turned to look at Tom. "Testing out his new toy."  
"Is it Harry Potter or something?" enquired the man, who was staring at the snapped baton.  
"Yes, something like that..."  
"I'd better be on my way. The Missus will go spare if I'm late back from the market. Cheerio!"  
Michael raised a hand politely as he drove off. Tom breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Quick, Tom! We must get back to fixing my staff before anyone else notices!" cried Ursula.  
Her grandson stuck the pieces back together and before long they began to glow once more. The others watched in in anticipation, keeping their eyes on the middle at it was gradually welded back together.  
"Nearly done," said Tom. Then suddenly he vanished.  
Ursula, Simeon and Michael stood in bemused silence for a few seconds, trying to work out what had just happened.  
"I see the faeries are up to their old tricks again!" said Simeon, oblivious as to what was really on Dad and Granny's minds, "Whisking away an unsuspecting young wizard in the middle of a spell! A finding spell should have him back in a jiffy..."  
"That was not the work of the faeries!" cried Ursula, turning to face him, "I have seen this happen all too many times before. The Nekross have yet again snatched young Thomas from right in front of us!"  
"How did they know he was here?" asked Dad.  
"I don't know, Michael!"  
"Don't worry, Ursula!" cried Simeon, "Those neck-ties or neck-braces or whatever they're called cannot hide young Thomas from a reverse passing charm." He whizzed through an incantation and directed his staff to the spot where Tom had stood. A snake of magic sprang onto the ground, but Tom was still nowhere to be seen.  
"I'm afraid you have wasted your last spell," said Ursula solemnly, "There is no magic that can surpass the Zarantulus' powerful shields."  
"Are you saying that...we've lost him?" asked Michael gravely.  
"I wouldn't say that," responded Mrs Crowe, her eyes gazing towards the sky, "Tom has been captured by the Nekross many times before. If there's one thing I know, they will not be able to hold him for long..."  
...  
King Regent Varg gave a dark chuckle. "We meet again, Tom Clarke."  
The boy wizard, clutching Ursula's barely fixed staff, had now been escorted to the flight deck, where he was being held at gunpoint by the King Regent. He had his back to the majestic throne and Eelix's perch, where the cruel-hearted bird looked on scornfully. The infamous magic extractor was only a few metres away, although Tom wasn't entirely certain they were planning on using it this time.   
"Thanks to an ingenious plan of my dear husband, soon the warrior wizard Tom Clarke will be nothing but a pile of bones," threatened the Lady Lyzera, who was stood beside Varg.  
Despite how desperate the situation was looking, Tom's attention was drawn to her getup. Did she have an identical suit of armour to the former Princess Lexi? Why was she wearing it? Was it because of the formality of the occasion (i.e. him getting eaten) or was she preparing for a battle of some kind? Speaking of which, what was Varg's 'ingenious plan' and how had it been used to capture him?  
"We will devour your magic in the way of olden times," continued Varg, "With you out of the way, nothing shall stand against the might of Nekron!"  
Yada yada yada, Tom was surprised to find himself thinking. Haven't I heard this all before? At least a dozen times? Varg certainly hasn't got any more original since he last came to earth. I'm fed up of playing the same old game...  
"This is ridiculous," said Tom, his face losing seriousness, "How many times have we done this before? You capture me, rant about how the 'Nekross shall feast', put me in the extractor, something goes wrong and I escape. What makes you think this time's gonna be any different?"  
"Enough, wizard!" barked Varg, but it wasn't difficult to tell he was rather uneasy, "Those will be your last words!"  
Tom smirked, looking a little too confident for Varg's liking. "I'll bet something is going to happen any minute. Something that will foil your plans all over again. Something that will make you, the King Regent of Nekron, look like the clown Chancellor Kooth made you out to be. Do you really want your people to lose faith in you – their King – like they did with your Dad?"  
"Your foolish words have caused your downfall," replied Varg, but there was a waver to his tone, "Now you shall pay for your blasphemy against the throne of Nekron!"  
Tom continued to look overly cool-headed. "Something's going to get in your way soon – just like it always does."  
"SILENCE!" commanded Varg.  
"Do we have to do this again? You've been humiliated enough times. Can't we work this out?"  
"I SAID SILENCE!" Varg was even angrier. "I have had enough of your petty manipulation tactics! I will end this now by killing you immediately..."  
He was about to do just that when all of a sudden there was a tremendous "BANG!" from somewhere on the ship. Eelix gave an almighty squawk and everyone on the flight deck was thrown right off their feet, landing in awkward positions on the floor, with the exception of Tom, who had accidentally toppled rather ironically onto the royals' throne.  
"Are we being attacked!?" shouted Tom, before the Zarantulus was struck by another blow, tossing everyone all over again.  
"It cannot be!" cried Lyzera, "The Zarantulus' shields are superior to all others!"  
"The traitor!" remembered Varg in complete horror, "He must have bypassed the security systems!"  
"Excuse me!?" said a bewildered Tom, before the ship was struck once more, sparks flying from the ceiling.   
Varg struggled to his feet and punched the com. "Technician Jathro 15! Report!"  
"The shields are down, my Excellency!" responded Jathro, fires raging in the background, crewmen spraying them as fast as they could with extinguishers, "The technician staff is working hard to restore them!"  
The ship took another blow and Varg was catapulted backwards, nearly hitting his skull on the base of his throne.   
"Varg!" called Tom, "Is there something you're not telling me?"  
Instead of answering him, Varg got to his feet and held his pistol at his foe's head once more.  
"Not again," grumbled Tom.  
"I will not be distracted by this...minor inconvenience, enemy of Nekron! Nothing can stand between me and your utter annihilation." The ship was hit once more, but Varg fought to keep himself standing upright. "Prepare to meet your doom, Tom Clarke!"  
"Varg, listen to me! You don't have to do this! I can help you get out of this mess."  
"Nothing you say can stop me, wizard!" Varg was about to activate the trigger, but for some reason hesitated.  
Tom had noticed. "If you spare me, I will create a magical force-field around the Zarantulus – the one I used to protect Benny and me from the weapon on that device you used to control Miss Webster."  
"I will have no more of this!" bellowed Varg, a shower of sparks exploding not far behind him, "Tonight, Tom Clarke, YOU DIIIIIIE! RAAARGH!"  
He was about to finish off the meddling wizard once and for all, when all of a sudden a hand snatched the gun right out of his gloved fingers. Varg's head swivelled to see who could have done such a thing.  
"My Lady?!"  
Beside him stood his wife, barely able to keep her balance, especially since she was clutching the trembling Eelix under one arm. She was, however, able to toss Varg's prized blaster through a hole in the wall, where a panel had been only a few minutes ago. Varg resisted the temptation to shout, "MY BLASTER!" as well.  
Lyzera looked him in the eye. "If you kill the wizard half-form, we shall all die!"  
Yet again, the ship was fired at. With the amount of times it had been struck, it was almost a wonder that it was still holding! Would the starship Zarantulus survive yet another blow...?  
Varg turned to his nemesis. "You may have won this time, Tom Clarke, but the next time we meet, I have no doubts that you will be INSTANTLY OBLITERATED."  
I might have some doubts about that, thought Tom. He closed his eyes and concentrated, knowing he didn't have very long before they would be shot again. "Kadra-dach-dah." He snapped his fingers and a fountain of magic rapidly surged from his fingertips, disappearing through the ceiling. Everyone on the flight deck held their breath, waiting for another deadly blast, but all was silent. The lights in the symbols around the throne and behind the panels had phased out during the attack and the room was eerily darker than normal, the only illumination coming from the green emergency lights and the glow of the amber on Ursula's staff, which had rolled beside Eelix's perch.  
Once Tom had relaxed a little, he remembered there were a few unanswered questions on his mind. Now they were no longer under threat, Varg had no excuse to avoid them.  
"What was all that about?" he asked, "You mentioned something about a traitor. Is there something you're not telling me?"   
Varg seemed reluctant to spill the beans, but since he had nothing to lose, gave in to the wizard's curiosity. "We received a message earlier this day warning us that one of Chancellor Kooth's allies could be aboard the Zarantulus with a mission to exterminate the royal house of Nekron."  
"They have already tried multiple strategies to assassinate us," added Lyzera, "It was only likely they would resort to a more aggressive tactic."  
"You're telling me." Tom caught sight of something rather suspicious through the window. "Varg? Lyzera? You might want to see this..."  
As usual, the large, oblong window displayed the vast expanse of planet Earth, not all that far below them. However, blocking their view of the planet's cloudy exterior was an irregular shape, roughly ovoid, formed from grey panels, often with rectangular angles.   
"Is that...who you're talking about?" asked Tom, getting up from the throne for a better look.  
"The traitor has taken one of the shuttles!" exclaimed Varg.  
"I think I figured that when they started firing at us." Tom remembered vividly how Kooth's armada had attacked the ship only months before.   
The vessel didn't try to fire again but instead remained stationary, almost as if lying in wait. In fact, that was precisely what it was doing – hovering menacingly, waiting for the next opportunity to strike. Either that or it was holding the Zarantulus under siege. Neither option sounded good.  
"What are we going to do now?" half-whispered Tom.  
"We must alert Duchess Chani of the situation and that we require her assistance." Varg went over to a console and pressed several buttons. "Curse that contemptible traitor! The com system is down!"  
"Whoever this traitor is, he's certainly playing his cards right."  
"He is no doubt one of the Chancellor Kooth's handpicked cohorts – chosen for his skills in assassination."   
While Varg's back was turned and Tom was conversing with him, Lyzera had noticed a particular item Tom had dropped while the Zarantulus was under attack. It was now beside Eelix's perch and in the confusion, the wizard appeared to have forgotten about it. That was understandable – it wasn't an item he normally carried. If she remembered correctly, it was the cane belonging to his grandmother.   
Since coming to Earth, she had researched human wizards extensively, but not in the same way Lexi had done. She knew about their civilisation and customs, but her attention was more frequently drawn to the way magic functioned on their planet. She was aware that magical staffs were a very important family heirloom, not only because they had originally belonged to famous wizards of the same bloodline, but because a portion of magic from every owner became a part of the stick. The bloodline of Crowe was a remarkably illustrious one, what with the warrior Caractacus Crowe having used the same staff in his battles against the villainous Warlock. As far as sorcery opportunities went, she had truly hit the jackpot! She did not know exactly what she could use it for, but as her one unoccupied hand closed around the handle, she felt the rich magic emanating from its depths and realised the universe was one step closer to being in her hands.  
"If the com's down, how are we going to contact this Duchess Chani?" asked Tom, utterly oblivious to what Lyzera was doing.  
The Lady realised Varg would turn around any second and spot what she was doing. Though he'd probably assume she was taking it for extraction, since he was still unaware that she practised sorcery, after living with him for the past few months she'd really got him figured out. It was more than likely he would unthinkingly give the game away! She hissed a passing charm and the magic from her regal necklace, concealed beneath her armour, swallowed her in purple light.   
Varg swivelled round just after she'd vanished. "Without the com system, there is no way to contact the Duchess."  
"Spectacular!" Tom threw his arms in the air. "We're stranded in a damaged spaceship and I can't even use my magic to fix the com!"   
Varg suddenly became aware that Lyzera was absent and was about to say something when Tom had a brainwave. "Hang on a minute. What if I used my magic to send her a message another way? Like a...smoke signal or a flare?"  
"The Nekross have not used such primitive methods of communication since the hunter-gatherer age."  
"No, no! You're missing the point. Nekron is in another galaxy, but if your com system can reach there, then why not a magic spell? I could send one off that would turn into an SOS signal when it reached Duchess Chani's computer. You've managed to communicate through the scrying mirror before. When we got that message the other day from that thief in the Natural History Museum, we thought you might have sent it to trick us. Surely we can do it the other way round!"  
Varg drew close to his face. "How do I know you are not planning to merely snap your fingers..." He clicked his own gloved finger tips. "...and escape while you have the chance."  
"You're going to have to trust me, Varg. Wizards don't take lives – or leave others to die." Varg still looked very sceptical. "Lexi would have believed me."  
Blast that wizard half-form! thought Varg for what must have been the millionth time, only now it was for a different reason. Tom knew him all too well. If there was one thing he had a soft spot for, it was his dear sister Lexi. The wizard boy was too cunning for his own good – almost as cunning as Lexi herself. It then crossed his mind that he wasn't merely looking at livestock or one of his enemies – this was Lexi's husband. Now he thought of it, they were surprisingly well-matched, what with them both sharing a desire for independence, a warrior spirit, a loyalty to their families...  
What?! How could he even be thinking this? It was blasphemy against Nekron! May our ancestors forgive me, he thought.  
"Curse you, Tom Clarke," responded Varg.  
"I had a feeling you'd say that," replied Tom.  
...  
Meanwhile in the corridor, the armour-clad Lady Lyzera materialised, thankfully out of sight of any crewmen, clutching her prize. She began to chuckle menacingly.  
"Can you believe it, Eelix?" She held up the cane to inspect every detail of it. "Within my grasp is the key to domination of the universe. That foolish wizard halfling has placed in my reach one of the most magical items on Earth – the staff of the bloodline of Crowe!"


	4. Foiled Again

Tom stood in the middle of the flight deck, his right arm raised and his eyes closed in concentration. In his mind he conjured a message – "HELP. THE ZARANTULUS IS UNDER ATTACK." It didn't matter that his thoughts were in English; as far as he remembered, the spell could turn the message into any language. "Patach-dyshaa-dah!" he cried. Snap! A small fizzle of purple and orange magic sprang from his fingertips, but only for a second.   
"And now we wait," said Tom, relaxing his arm.  
"If the spell has worked, the Duchess should be with us in the equivalent of ten Earth minutes."  
"I only hope it has, because that was my final spell."   
For a moment Tom wondered how she was going to manage to get to them that fast, but then he remembered the wormhole Chancellor Kooth had used for the armada. He then began to wonder what would happen when Duchess Chani arrived. Once she'd defeated the traitor by some means, Varg was bound to tell her he had Nekron's greatest enemy as a prisoner on board the Zarantulus! How was he going to get off the ship before that happened? He'd just used up his last spell helping his nemesis! Speaking of spells, he was suddenly struck with the realisation that he'd been carrying Ursula's staff when he was beamed onto the Zarantulus. Where was it now? It must have rolled out of sight while the ship was under attack.  
Varg had also become conscious (again) that something was missing. "Lyzera!" he cried, before rushing off through the hexagonal door.  
Looking back later, Tom couldn't believe he didn't twig that instant. Instead, he started walking around the flight deck, looking for where his Gran's precious staff could have got to.  
...  
Meanwhile, only a few corridors away, Lady Lyzera was testing out the same staff's capabilities. She cupped the amber in her free hand and whispered an incantation. The amber lit up and a mist of pink and purple magic started to circle it.   
"Soon all the magic of the line of Crowe shall be mine," she whispered. Dark magic began radiating from her necklace beneath the Nekross logo on her chest and gradually joined with the glow surrounding the amber. Eelix's eyes were transfixed upon the stream of enchantment.  
Lyzera closed her eyes and felt the magic's energy flowing into every fibre of her being. It was the power of every Crowe who had ever owned – or even held – the treasured staff over the centuries. She could feel Caractacus Crowe's warrior spirit and courage. She sensed Ursula's concern for her grandson and determination to defend Wizardkind. She could even feel Tom's love for his kindred and knew of the many struggles he'd faced since the Nekross came to Earth. She knew of all the pain and suffering he'd seen and the heavy burden he carried upon his shoulders, being the sole protector of every wizard in the world.  
Before long, the essences of these individuals grew overpowering. The line of Crowe had indeed been around for generations, encompassing thousands of people, many of whom were great heroes. It was all very well taking from the extractor the magic of one person or several of them, but the amount of magic contained within the cane was beyond her ability to even comprehend! Not only was it overwhelming her – it was killing her.  
She collapsed to the floor, too overcome to find the strength to utter a spell that would sever the tie. Eelix squawked and leapt out of her arm just in time, landing beside her. He pecked at her face with his beak but she was unable to answer. Her eyes opened slightly and she let out a slight moan, denoting she was still alive.  
Varg had been wandering around the corridors looking for her when he heard Eelix's horrid screech. Much as he detested that bird, he couldn't help but be alarmed by his cry.   
"Lyzera!"   
He rushed in the direction of the noise, only to find his wife collapsed onto the floor, her beloved bird looking forlorn. He gasped loudly, his tentacles arching in horror. Carefully, he crouched down beside her, on the lookout for whatever had caused her condition.  
"My Lady?" he whispered, afraid to touch her in case she had been poisoned.  
"Varg?" she replied groggily, her eyes still closed. Eelix perked up a little, glad to see his mistress was still alive. "I do not think I shall make it."   
Varg looked shocked, even though he'd nearly lost her twice already in the same day. "No...this cannot be! We have only been married since I returned to Nekron."  
If I'm going to die, I'd better do so honourably, thought Lyzera.  
"You are young...you will marry again...I am only sorry that I have not produced you an heir."  
"You must live! Not only is our marriage crucial to the stability of Nekross royalty, but I cannot imagine a future without you. No other Nekross could have such beautiful rose scales or such tender mulberry lips. My world would not be complete without you by my side!"  
How did I end up married to such an old windbag? thought the Lady, but she continued to play along. "Go, Varg!" She mustered all her strength into raising her hand and pointing in the direction (she hoped) of the flight deck. "I do not want you to see me depart from this life."  
"I cannot leave you!" Varg placed his hands under her armpits and started dragging her along the corridor. "I must take you to the infirmary!"  
Can't you let me die in peace?! thought Lyzera exasperatedly.   
"No, there is nothing you can do!"  
"I will not let a traitor of Nekron destroy the most precious thing in my life!"  
...  
Meanwhile, back on the flight deck, Tom had looked everywhere for the stick, but it was nowhere to be seen. He was now beginning to panic. Had the Nekross taken it? If so, they had no idea what they were in for. He pressed the keypad of a nearby computer in case the technicians had got the com working again, when he noticed something very alarming. Varg had not closed any windows since he was last using it, so the first thing Tom caught sight of was his Facebook profile.  
What?! Had the Nekross been spying upon him? He was even more horrified when he spotted the other tabs Varg had been looking at – Li Min Peacock, Matthew Sparrow, Audrey Myna, Soren Crane. These were all wizard names!  
He remembered Lyzera mentioning a plan of Varg's that had led to his capture. Was it possible this was the plan and that he wasn't the only target?   
As he scrolled through his Facebook page, he began to see it in a new light. He'd posted so much information about himself and all of it could be read by anyone. By far the most painful thing he saw he'd written was a post from only half an hour earlier, telling Katie he was visiting Fairy Bridge on the Isle of Man. He'd given away his location to the Nekross without even realising it!  
After two minutes of staring in dismay at the screen, he remembered there was a more urgent matter at stake. He decided not to bother with the com and instead charged through the flight deck's hexagonal door.  
He dashed through the corridors, scouring the place for any un-helmeted Nekross. It didn't take him long before he found the King Regent, knelt on the floor beside his prostrate wife and lamenting.  
"Varg? Lyzera? What's going on?" Tom called. Varg let go of his wife and turned his head to see where the voice had come from.   
"The traitor has struck again," said Varg mournfully, his tentacles drooping.  
Tom strode towards the two Nekross. "I thought the hitman was in that shuttle."   
"Then explain to me why my wife is dying!"   
A horrible thought struck Tom. What if there wasn't just one assassin aboard the Zarantulus? What if Kooth had planted two of them – or even more?!  
This alarming theory didn't last very long though, as Tom suddenly caught sight of the object he'd been looking for. "Gran's staff!" He squeezed past Varg and Lyzera and picked up the discarded stick. The moment he'd clasped his hand around it, Lyzera gave a loud gasp, somewhat like a choke, and sat straight up, catching her breath back.  
"Wait?! Did you try to eat the staff's magic?"  
Lyzera gave a small cough and then spat out a cloud of pink and purple magic, which leapt back into the cane's amber, quick as a flash.   
"It contains magic from every owner it has ever had," said Tom crossly, looking Lyzera in the eye, "That's thousands of wizards – all from the Bloodline of Crowe – going into your system. No wonder it gave you indigestion."  
(That wasn't quite what Lyzera had been doing with it, but she certainly didn't tell him that!)  
Tom began studying the cane. He had in his hand an item that contained immense magic. After using his last spell contacting Duchess Chani, he'd been stumped as to how he was going to escape before they tried to steal his magic again. Was there some way he could use the staff's powers to his advantage?  
Without warning, a massive BOOM! sounded from somewhere outside the spacecraft.  
"What was that?" cried Tom, but he was easily able to work out the Zarantulus hadn't been fired at again.  
"Duchess Chani has arrived!" exclaimed Varg,   
Sure enough, outside the Zarantulus, a small shuttle similar to the one that had attacked them earlier was firing at the traitor's vessel. Not only that, but there were also another dozen ships surrounding it. The assassin didn't stand a chance against the Duchess' fleet!  
The rest of the armada joined in the fight from all sides, until eventually the traitor's spacecraft was blasted into oblivion. Inside the Zarantulus, Varg and Lyzera had just finished getting up and were nearly thrown off their feet again in the force from the explosion.   
"Wait...has the traitor been killed?" remarked Tom, as silence preceded the battle, "That's...kind of disappointing. We never did get to find out who he was."  
"That is irrelevant. All that matters is that the traitor is destroyed, as are all who dare oppose the might of Nekron – including you, Tom Clarke." Varg's expression turned sinister.  
"Not this again..."  
"King Regent Varg?" called a voice. It wasn't coming from nearby – in fact, it seemed to be coming from the flight deck, only a short walk away.  
Varg's tentacles arched upward as a confused expression spread onto his face, before he realised just who was speaking. "The Duchess must have transported aboard the Zarantulus!"  
He turned round and headed back to the flight deck, but before he made it, he bumped into Duchess Chani in the corridor.   
"King Regent?" confirmed the Duchess, who had three Nekross guards stood behind her.   
"I commend you for your swift response, Duchess," responded Varg, "The traitor had us held under siege – just one of many attempts to eliminate us during the last few hours."  
Chani moved out of the way as the guards stepped forwards toward the king regent. It became apparent that one of them was hand-cuffed and held captive by the other two.  
"Now the traitor is within your hands," said the Duchess, gesturing emphatically toward the prisoner, "He was beamed off the shuttle before it was destroyed. You may do with him as you please."  
Varg leaned closer to the assassin. "With pleasure," he said darkly.  
"Then it shall be a double execution," said the Lady Lyzera, appearing behind him, roughly dragging Tom Clarke by the elbow. He was holding onto Granny's cane with both hands now, not willing to let Lyzera yank it out of his grasp without a fight.  
Duchess Chani was about to reply when her eyes fell upon Tom. She gave a surprised squeak and clapped both her hands over her mouth, staring intently at the teenage wizard.   
"A wizard!" she peeped.   
"This wizard is Tom Clarke – our greatest enemy," emphasised Varg.  
"I have never beheld a creature of magic in the flesh before!"  
The Duchess stepped toward Tom and studied his features fascinatedly. She touched his nose with one of her violet gloved fingers which made Tom feel a little awkward, but he smiled anyway. The Duchess laughed gleefully.  
Tom was rather taken aback by her behaviour. Unlike the other Nekross he'd met, the Duchess did not strike him as wholly unpleasant, but really that shouldn't come as a surprise, giving how he'd been the one to see through Lexi's spiky exterior.  
"I'm afraid I will have to separate you from your little pet," interrupted Varg, "This fiendish wizard must pay for his heinous crimes against the throne of Nekron."  
"I just saved your life, Varg! And not for the first time either."  
One of the guards handed the king regent a blaster.  
"Earlier you boasted that this time I would not succeed in eradicating you. It appears you have paid the price for your arrogance, Tom Clarke. There is truly no escape this time. If I remember correctly, you have exhausted all three of your spells."  
"Maybe I don't have any spells left." The amber on Granny's cane began to glow. "But you're forgetting that this staff contains the magic of every wizard who has ever owned it – including my grandmother, Ursula Crowe! Paash-fan-dah!" He banged the cane against the hard floor of the Zarantulus.  
...  
The next thing he beheld was the familiar sight of the Chamber of Crowe.  
"Goblins and giddy fish!" cried a surprised Moon, "You will be returning – with the young master!" He had noticed Tom's abrupt disappearance while monitoring the scrying mirror.  
"What just happened?!" cried a bewildered Michael, only a metre away from him. He looked around sharply, unable to register the drastic scenery change.  
"It's OK, Dad!" reassured his son, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I just used a spell to bring us back to the Chamber."  
"Oh, well done, Thomas!" praised Granny, "I knew the Nekross wouldn't be able to keep you on that ship."  
Tom suddenly remembered he was still holding something that belonged to her. "I used your magic through the staff to lock all four of us in a passing charm." He handed it to his Gran, whose face lit up.  
"That must mean it's working again! The magic of Fairy Bridge really did heal it in time!"  
"Thank goodness for that," said Dad, "Now, can we have our tea?"  
"May I ask you about one thing?" Simeon interrupted, looking at Tom. "I tried to use a spell to summon you back from that spaceship earlier, but it didn't work because of their shields. How were you able to bypass them?"  
Tom quickly thought how he could explain that in a nutshell, but knew it wouldn't be that simple. "It's a long story," he replied, and was about to go into it, when he remembered a more pressing matter. "But first, I need to tell you about Varg's latest plan. We need to warn every wizard in the world about it..."  
...  
A few hours later, Varg, clad in his nightwear: a blue pinstriped viscose turtle-neck t-shirt and trousers, was on the computer in the royal bedroom, getting angrier by the second as he scrolled through the Facebook pages he'd saved.  
"RAAAAARGH!" He punched the keyboard. "I cannot believe this! That revolting wizard half-form must have seen my master plan. Now every single profile I collected has been marked as private!"  
Lyzera was sat on a stool not far away from him, her attention directed to the mirror on her azure blue vanity, removing her make-up with a cotton pad. She was wearing a shimmering floor-length maroon nightgown with straps that revealed her scaly shoulders and arms.   
"How unfortunate, dear husband," she replied, not really listening. After she'd finished removing her lipstick, she carefully took off her prized necklace and placed it onto a jewellery mannequin. It was the last thing she took off before going to bed each night.  
"Tom Clarke has driven me to near insanity! Not only has he thwarted my greatest plan, he has yet again evaded his rightful execution and humiliated me in front of one of our allies! The next time I see him, I will obliterate him on the spot!"  
"Come to bed, husband Varg. We may deal with your frustration in the morning." Lyzera made her way over to the now dart-free bed and sat on the left side.  
Varg switched off the computer and turned to face his wife. "We may not even capture Matthew Sparrow tomorrow due to the transporter systems being inoperative. How infuriating!"  
While he was saying this, the Lady was petting Eelix, who was sat in a crib on her bedside table.   
"Must you have that bird stay in our quarters? The traitor has been eliminated – he poses no menace to your beloved pet." There was a hint of sarcasm in his last two words.  
"My Eelix will stay with us for one night and tomorrow he will sleep on the flight deck once again." Lyzera tucked the bird fondly under a blue blanket, patting his sleepy head, before slipping herself under the royal blue covers of the king-sized bed.   
Varg clambered into bed beside her. Once he had pulled the covers over himself, he sat for a few seconds pondering. "I have been thinking about something, my Lady," he said eventually, sounding much calmer than before, "When your life was under threat, you told me that you were sorry that you hadn't produced an heir."  
"As the wife of King Regent of all Nekron, it is my duty to carry on the royal bloodline," responded Lyzera.  
"My Lady?" Varg took hold of her hand. "Already our marriage has formed a union between Nekron and its Ringed Moons. Some when in future, would you unite with me to create a half-form?"  
Lyzera moved her hand from his grasp and took hold of his chin. "Why dear husband, I would like nothing more!"   
She pressed her lips against his and they shared a chaste bedtime kiss, before snuggling under the covers for a restful night's sleep. Varg began to imagine one day having halflings with Lyzera; some yellow like himself, others pale pink, and one of them would grow up to become the king or queen of Nekron.  
His thoughts turned to Lexi, as he remembered she had born a child on the Neverside. He wondered what she'd say if she knew that he would soon become a father. Perhaps she'd tease him about the baby inheriting some of his less than charming characteristics. Maybe she'd give him advice, having been through the experience before him. Not all that long ago, she might have annoyed him with her smug behaviour and intellect, but now even the thought of her being around filled him with longing. It was more than likely she'd never get to meet his and Lyzera's children. No matter what his half-forms accomplished, they'd grow up with something missing in their lives – an aunt Lexi. How he missed his dear sister. If only that meddling wizard halfling had not taken her away from him...


End file.
